Melbourne Victory captain Mark Milligan finally gets chance to step out for Socceroos at a World Cup

Michael Lynch, Vitoria, Brazil

As he goes into his third World Cup, Mark Milligan looks guaranteed to achieve one thing he has never managed before – playing a part on the pitch.

A 20-year-old Milligan, then of Sydney FC, was very much a makeweight for the 2006 tournament in Germany, brought along by Guus Hiddink to give him the experience and help his development – as well as fly the A-League flag – rather than as a serious playing prospect.

Milligan was closer to the mark in 2010, when he was in the party for South Africa, but could not break into Pim Verbeek's team and again failed to get any minutes on the pitch.

This time round, the 28-year-old Melbourne Victory captain is an integral part of the Socceroos set-up and will be a key midfield presence, alongside Australia captain Mile Jedinak, in one of the two screening roles coach Ange Postecoglou will employ in front of the back four.

Advertisement

It has been a long time coming for the versatile Milligan, who began both his club and international careers as a defender.

These days, he is picked primarily for his energy, and ball-winning and distribution skills in midfield, and that is how he prefers it.

Preparing for the World Cup warm-up match against Croatia on June 7, Milligan welcomed Postecoglou's declaration that the coach would not considerhim for a spot in the heart of the Socceroos defence, even though the central defenders were largely inexperienced and Milligan had played there at international level before.

''Whatever's asked of me I'll do, but if you do want my opinion, it's not really something I'm interested in," Milligan said. "It's probably been the hardest thing for me to overcome when I was younger, being able to play those various positions, and it cost me at club level and international level.

''I've worked extremely hard to become a midfielder and if I'm up for selection, I'm up for selection as a midfielder.''

Not that he can take things easy. Postecoglou is a man who puts little weight on reputation and picks players on form, particularly recent form. So good performances in warm-up games are likely to be rewarded.

''It's very tough," Milligan said. "The boys that started and came on against South Africa did quite well, especially considering the conditions we had.

"It's been hard to take notice of how well other players are doing because you're trying so hard to take in and understand what's required of yourself first and foremost, and structurally in a team sense. The focus hasn't been on how everyone else has been doing and more how we're coping ourselves.''

Previous experience with the national team coach at Melbourne Victory has helped Milligan, up to a point. Postecoglou respected his leadership skills, making him the club's captain, and Milligan knows the Postecoglou mantra: "Play as you train – hard and with intensity".

''The general philosophy of all our sessions is that we train hard – it's just the duration and the load that always varies," Milligan said. "But when we're out there we try to get as much out of it as we can. There's a number of weeks still to go; we're still trying to get to our peak physical condition.

''It's quite similar [to the sessions at Victory], but the obvious difference is that the quality and intensity that you get from the players is a lot higher. That's due to the final cut having to be made so it'll stay that way, even more so with a few spots on the line.

''Maybe I have more understanding of the drills, but what's expected from us isn't the same. We're playing a totally different formation and what he [Postecoglou] wants from us is very different. We have to learn to adapt to that and the way he wants it to happen.''

Milligan's role will be pivotal in shielding a defence that is expected to come under sustained pressure from Chile, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as acting as a springboard for counter-attacks. Postecoglou likes to take the game to the opposition, but Milligan said Australia's approach would, in the circumstances, be considered rather than reckless.

''It won't be suicidal, but we need to be strong on both fronts, attack and defence," he said. "If we're strong in attack, that sets you up to defend well. It's very much a learning process at the moment; there's fine details of both parts that need to done.

''We'll get a better indication from these next two games, especially the Croatia one, but our defensive set-up will be based around the way we go forward.''

For Milligan, this World Cup could open up a major move. Victory turned down an offer, reported to be in the range of $1.5 million, from English Premier League club Crystal Palace last September, while the Sydney-born player has also been linked to lucrative moves to the Middle East.

If he stays at Victory, Milligan will be a key part of coach Kevin Muscat's plans next season, but a strong performance in Brazil could reinvigorate overseas interest in a man who has had to wait a long time to fulfil his ambitions.